Florent Geroux | Horse Racing Free Tips

Aunt Pearl Serves Notice With Impressive Stakes Record-Setting Performance In Jessamine

Ensuring she will be one of the favorites in next month's Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, Aunt Pearl led from start to finish in a stakes record-setting performance in Wednesday's Grade 2 Jessamine Stakes at Keeneland. The 2-year-old daughter of Lope de Vega shattered the old record of 1:42.21, stopping the clock in 1:40.86 over the firm turf course. Trained by Brad Cox and ridden by Florent Geroux, Aunt Pearl was the 3-2 favorite in the field of 11 fillies.

She defeated runner-up Spanish Loveaffair by 2 1/2 lengths on the wire, earning a fees-paid berth to the Breeders' Cup with her victory.

Aunt Pearl is campaigned by Madaket Stables, Michael Dubb, Peter Deutsch, Peter, Michael Kisber, and The Elkstone Group (Stuart Grant).

Sent straight to the lead by Geroux, Aunt Pearl grabbed a two-length advantage in the early going. She set impressive fractions of :22.28 and :46.65, then took a slight breather in the third quarter to allow 8-5 second choice Spanish Loveaffair to close the gap to three-quarters of a length.

Set loose turning for home, Aunt Pearl pulled away from her rivals with ease. Geroux rode her out until about the sixteenth pole, then wrapped up to save something for next month's Breeders' Cup challenge. It was 2 1/2 lengths back to Spanish Loveaffair in second, while Ingrassia and Arm Candy filled out the superfecta.

Bred in Ireland by Ecurie Des Charmes and Ballylinch Stud, Aunt Pearl is out of the Hurricane Run mare Matauri Pearl. The filly was purchased by agent Bradley Weisbord for $358,766 at last fall's Tattersalls October sale, and won on debut at Churchill on Sept. 1. She lived up to that victory by winning the Jessamine, improving her record to two wins from two starts for earnings of over $130,000.

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Factor This Gives Cox, Geroux Second Win On The Day In Dinner Party

Gaining Ground Racing's Factor This continued his strong season in 2020 on Saturday with a front-running victory in the Grade 2 Dinner Party Stakes at Pimlico. It was the second win on the Preakness Stakes undercard for trainer Brad Cox and jockey Florent Geroux. The 5-year-old son of The Factor was off as the 4-5 favorite in the field of seven, and pulled away to win by three lengths in a final time time of 1:46.17 over the yielding turf course.

Breaking from the outside post, Factor This was able to get to the lead and the rail before the clubhouse turn. Geroux guided him through fractions of :24.28 and :48.74, maintaining a one-length advantage until mid-way up the backstretch.

Irish Strait moved up to pressure the leader, within a half-length at the five-eighths pole, while Somelikeithotbrown was trapped down on the rail through much of the early going. In the far turn, Irish Strait dropped back and Somelikeithotbrown was able to angle out to take aim on the leading Factor This.

Somelikeithotbrown got within a length of Factor This, but could not get by the determined frontrunner and yielded in the final sixteenth of a mile. At the finish, it was Factor This in front by about three lengths as Somelikeithotbrown settled for second. Hembree got up for third, while Doctor Mounty was fourth.

Bred in Kentucky by Maccabee Farm, Factor This is out of the Singspiel mare Capricious Miss. He was a $2,700 yearling at the Keeneland September sale, then brought a final bid of $11,000 at the OBS April sale the following spring. Factor This didn't win his first stakes race until his 4-year-old season, and earned a first graded victory early in 2020. This year, the horse has won five of his seven starts, all in stakes company.

Overall, Factor This has earned over $1.2 million with a career record of 12-4-4 from 32 starts.

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Juliet Foxtrot Holds Off Varenka To Win Gallorette

Getting a perfect trip under Florent Geroux, Juddmonte Farms' homebred Juliet Foxtrot won Saturday's Grade 3 Gallorette Stakes by one length to kick off the graded stakes action on Preakness Day at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Md.

Varenka closed strongly down the middle of the turf course to get within a length of Juliet Foxtrot at the wire, with No Mo Lady third and She'sonthewarpath fourth in the field of six older fillies and mares.

Juliet Foxtrot, a5-year-old English-bred daughter of Dansili trained by Brad Cox, covered 1 1/16 miles on yielding turf in 1:49.24 and paid $4.20 for the win, her second in a G3 stakes since coming to the United States from England and fifth win overall from 18 career starts.

Longshot Jabuticaba set the early fractions of :25.24, :50.49 and 1:15.92 with Juliet Foxtrot lapped on her from the outside for much of the way. Geroux asked Juliet Foxtrot to move to the lead on the turn for home, and she responded, opening a clear lead in the stretch and having enough left in the tank to hold off Trevor McCarthy and Varenka, a G2 winner in 2019 who has been off the board in all three of her starts in 2020.

“A little further and she might of gotten there,” said Graham Motion, Varenka's trainer. “The winner is a good filly.”

“(Jabuticaba) looked like she had a lot of speed,” said Geroux. “I just wanted to break good and get away from there and not be on the rail. I wanted to make sure I got a clear shot. I sat second place all the way and when I asked her, she went on. We were concerned how far she wanted to go. I think she's a true miler. I think she's more effective on the firm turf. The ground was a concern, but she was able to show off her class. She won on her class today, and not on what she likes.”

Produced from the King's Best mare, Kilo Alpha, Juliet Foxtrot has been facing top company since winning the G3 Modesty at Arlington Park in July 19 – her third consecutive success after arriving in the U.S.. She finished second, beaten a nose by Vasilika in the G2 John C. Mabee at Del Mar, second to Uni in the G1 First Lady at Keeneland, and third to Got Stormy in the G1 Matriarch at Del Mar to close out her 2019 campaign.

This year, Juliet Foxtrot ran sixth behind Secret Message in the G3 Mint Julep at Churchill Downs, third behind Rushing Fall in the G1 Jenny Wiley and then fourth behind Beau Recall in her most recent start in the G2 Distaff Turf Mile at Churchill Downs.

“Definitely some class relief here helped,” said Ricky Giannini, assistant to Brad Cox. “We just hadn't been able to find the right spots and get her going, but she got the win today.

“Florent [Geroux] read it right. There wasn't much speed in the race. He kind of hustled her out of the gate and let the long shot go, just tipped out and gave her a perfect stalking trip and she kicked on.”

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Versatile Diamond Oops Runs Down Longshot Empire Of Gold In Phoenix

Last-out winner of the G2 Turf Sprint at Churchill Downs, the versatile 3-1 favorite Diamond Oops made the switch back to the dirt on Friday when he won the G3 Phoenix Stakes at Keeneland. The 5-year-old son of Lookin at Lucky ran six furlongs over the fast dirt in 1:09.24, besting 51-1 longshot Empire of Gold by three-quarters of a length on the wire. Trained by Pat Biancone and ridden by Florent Geroux, Diamond Oops is campaigned by the Diamond 100 Racing Club, Amy Dunne, D P Racing and Patrick L. Biancone Racing.

The victory earned Diamond Oops an expenses-paid berth to the Breeders' Cup Sprint next month, also at Keeneland.

Grade 1 winner No Parole sped out of the starting gate to grab the early lead, while Remington Park invader Empire of Gold moved up to add pressure through early fractions of :22.24 and :44.73. Echo Town and Diamond Oops were just behind the frontrunners early, while veteran Whitmore and Ohio-bred millionaire Mo Don't No tracked in mid-pack.

Rounding the far turn, Empire of Gold grabbed the lead away from No Parole and opened up by several lengths. Diamond Oops took up the chase, but looked to have too much to do with three-sixteenths of a mile to run.

Instead, when Geroux gave the gelding his cue, Diamond Oops dug in gamely and drew even with his rival. Empire of Gold switched to the wrong lead late, trying to find more, but Diamond Oops pushed past to hit the wire three-quarters of a length in front. Empire of Gold had to settle for second, while Echo Town was game late to deny Whitmore for third. Absolutely Aiden was fifth.

Bred in Kentucky by Kin Hui Racing Stables, Diamond Oops is out of the stakes-winning Whywhywhy mare Patriotic Viva. He started showing up in a big way last year, winning the G3 Smile Sprint on dirt before running second in both the G1 Vanderbilt (dirt) and the G1 Shadwell Turf Mile. He was eighth in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile before rebounding to win the G3 Mr. Prospector.

This year, Diamond Oops has not finished worse than fourth in four starts, and his overall record stands at 7-3-1 from 16 starts for earnings of over $1 million.

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